Ronnie James Dio’s widow and long-time manager, Wendy Dio, recently provided major updates regarding the future of the officially sanctioned tribute act, Dio Disciples. During a new interview with California-based Argentinean rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon, she detailed an upcoming tour and confirmed the musicians who will participate in the live project.
While the exact moniker for the touring group is still under consideration, the live shows will feature archival video footage of the legendary heavy metal vocalist rather than relying on controversial modern technology like artificial intelligence or holograms.
Discussing the upcoming performances, Wendy Dio shared:
“ I’m excited about the new Dio lineup… So we’re going to take Dio and the Dio band out again… I don’t know if it’s gonna be [called] Dio Disciples or it’s gonna be Dio And The Disciples, or Dio… We don’t know yet. The name is not there. But it will be Ronnie, and not in a hologram, not in A.I., but we’re gonna do real Ronnie in Ronnie video. So we have Ronnie video, and he will sing with the band about four songs.”
The backing band for the upcoming run will feature a blend of familiar faces and experienced musicians from the heavy metal scene. The confirmed lineup includes:
- Simon Wright (Drums)
- Bjorn Englen (Bass)
- Scott Warren (Keyboards)
- Oni Logan (Vocals, formerly of Lynch Mob)
- Robin McAuley (Vocals, formerly of Michael Schenker‘s band)
- Rowan Robertson (Guitar, featured on the Dio album Lock Up The Wolves)
Regarding their touring itinerary, Wendy noted that they are aiming to book shows across the United States this autumn, with broader international aspirations for the following year.
“Hopefully we’ll do some dates in the fall in the U.S., and then next year we’re hoping to tour the whole of Europe and South America,” she said.
In addition to the tribute tour, Wendy revealed she is actively compiling previously unreleased recordings and obscure collaborations for a potential future release. The manager detailed several rare tracks currently in the vault, including a 1983 live concert from Seattle and material written specifically for her.
“We have some more things. And plus I’m trying to put together… I wanted to put together a bunch of songs that Ronnie did with other people that a lot of people don’t know. Like he did two songs with Kerry Livgren [from Kansas], and he did a rendition of ‘Dream On‘, and he did one of a Alice Cooper track. He did, of course, ‘I Could Have Been A Dreamer‘. He performed with the philharmonic orchestra and Deep Purple. And then he did something with a bunch of different bands or different things, and he did that Christmas thing. I was thinking to put them all together, of things that maybe fans are not aware of or would like to hear them again. He did a track with Girlschool. He did a track with a bunch of different people and different things, so I think it’d be interesting to [put them all out on one collection]… Plus I have a couple of unreleased tracks that I would like to put out. We have a show, a live show, that I’m working on right now that was done in the ’80s, a DIO live show [that’s] never been out before. I think it’s from Seattle. It’s from ’83, I think. It’s a live show that’s never been out. But there’s a lot of different things. There’s a couple of love songs that Ronnie wrote for me and recorded that’s never been out. He’d probably kill me if I put those out. He never wrote love songs, [but] he wrote a couple of love songs for me and recorded them. And I think they’re pretty good… So, yeah, it’s an exciting time, I think. I’m doing lots and lots of different things.”
Fans of the iconic singer can also attend the annual “Rock For Ronnie” charity concert, which raises funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. The 2026 event is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., taking place on the South Lawn adjacent to the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
This year’s musical lineup includes performances by Lita Ford, Led Zepagain, Dio Disciples, Jason Charles Miller, Legs Diamond, Whole Lotta Rosies, and Saints Of Sinners.
